Control handle for motor boat engines



May 12, 1931. W R SMITH 1,804,442

CONTROL HANDLE FOR MOTOR BOAT ENGINES Filed Oct. 18, 1928 Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WOODRUFF R. SMITH, F WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB, TO MALIEABLE IRON FITTINGS COMPANY, 0F BRANFOB-D, CONNECTICUT CONTROL HANDLE FOR MOTOR BOAT ENGINES Application led October 18, 1928. Serial No. 313,292.

This invention relates to a control handle for motor boat engines, and more especially to a control handle for an outboard motor.

. The usual outboard motor is provided with 6 a vertical crank shaft and horizontally disposed cylinders, the vertical shaft extending downwardly through a suitable framework and having connected to the lower end thereof a propeller shaft which is arrangedV at right angles to the crank shaft of the motor and driven through suitable gearing. Means is usually provided by lwhich the motor may be clamped to the stern of a boat, this type of motor being particularly desir- `able with small boats provided with square sterns. Certain of the outboard motors are rovided with rudders which are controlled by tiller handles, while others are provided with motors which are arranged to be swung as a whole in order to change the direction of thrust of the propeller to effect the steering of the boat, and in this case it is also customary to provide a tiller handle, which is mounted on some appropriate part of the motor frame. The present invention relates to a control or tiller handle by which a boat provided with an outboard motor may be steered. f

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a control handle for an outboard motor, which may be readily adjusted in a vertical direction. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a control handle for an outboard motor in which means is provided for cont-rolling the throttle opening of the motor or for advancing and retarding the spark of the motor.

It is customary when approaching a wharf or other landing place to stop the motor by short-circuiting the magneto or otherwise interrupting the ignition system, and the usual motor is provided with a switch for this purose. These switches have generally been of the type which are normally kept open by means of a spring and must be held closed by the fingers of an operator. It quite often occurs in approaching a wharf or landing that the switch is closed in order to stop the motor, and a short interval thereafter it is released in order that the operator ma. grasp some part of the wharf or control the oat by means of a boathook or oar, whereupon it often occurs that the motor starts up again, owmg to the fact that it has not completely ceased to rotate before the switch was re leased.

VA still further object of the invention is to provide a controlling switch for a motor boat engine which will remain in either o en or closed position, and which is mounte on the end o a control handle where it is readily accessibleto the operator of the motor.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a general view oi an outboard motor showing a control handle, according to my invention, mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the control handle shown in Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the left hand end of the control handle shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, along line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in which I have illustrated my invention by showing a preferred embodiment thereof, reference numeral 10 indicates in general an outboard motor comprising an engine 11, a downwardly extending frame 12 havingV mounted therein a vertical crank shaft (not shown) which is connected by suitable means to a propeller 13 in the lower part of frame 12. Mounted on frame 12 below motor 11 is a clamping bracket 14, which may be of any well known or desired type, clamping bracket 14 providing means by which the outboard motor may be secured on thestern of a boat. On a lower part of motor 11 and secured thereto in any suitable manner is a substantially U-shaped bracket 15 which, if desired, may be made of hollow tubing, which is circular in cross-section.

Mounted on one end of bracket 15 and generally designated by the reference numeral 16 is my improved controller handle, which comprises a two-part clam 17 and 18, each of which parts is provide with a semi-cylindrical opening 19 in which is received the bracket 15. The parts 17 and 19 may be clamped on bracket 15 by any suitable mea-ns, as for example screws 20, which pass through suitable openings in these parts. Part 18 is generally of L-shape and is provided with an arm 21 extending at right angles to the axis of opening 19, arm 21 being provided with flanges 22 and 23, between which one leg of bracket 15 is received, flanges 22and 23 preventing movement to the control handle 16 along bracket 15 and being assisted by a iange 24 mounted in alignment with opening 19.

When handle 16 is assembled on bracket 15 it is possible to swing the handle upwardly and downwardly, the arm 21 providing means for limiting the downward movement of t-he handle. In order that the vertical position of the handle may be secured in any convenient position of adjustment to suit the needs of an operator, an adjusting bolt` 25 is provided, mounted on arm 21 between flanges 22 and 23, bolt 25 being provided with a head 26, provided in its upper surface with a concave groove 27 in which the bracket 15 is received. The lower end of bolt 25 is provided with a screw driver receiving slot 28 by which the bolt may be rotated to be adjusted in arm 21, while lock nut 29 is received on bolt 25 and adapted to secure bolt 25 in any particular ositlon of adjustment.

Extending outwardly from clamp part 17 is a tube 30, having mounted on the outer end thereof a grip 31 provided with a sleeve 32, which is received on tube 30. Extending through clamp part 17 and tube 30 is a relatively small tube 33, having at one end thereof a collar 34 secured to sleeve 32 and tube 33 by means of pin 35, while on the other 'end of tube 33 a crank arm 36 is secured by means of pin 37, crank arm 36 having mounted in the outer end thereof a swivel 38 in which is secured a wire 39 passing through flexible tube 40 to the control of a carburetor such as that shown in the patent of Forrester L. Hammer, Swan Esborn, and myself, No. 1,780,522 issued November 4, 1930, or to such other device as it is desired to control by means of handle grip 31. The adjacent end of liexible tube 40 may be clamped in any desired manner to the control handle, herein a. split lug or bracket 41 being provided, the parts of which are urged together, and clamp tube 40 therebetween, by means of screw 42.

Mounted in the outer end of sleeve 32 in handle grip 31 is a switch, generally designated by the reference numeral 43, and comprising a thimble-like member of insulating material 44, having mounted in the interior thereof a pair of spring contacts 45 and 46,

which are normally out of engagement but which may bebrought into contact b means of tiltable switch handle 47 mounted 1n cover plate 48, which is secured in any suitable manner to switch 43. The contacts 45 and 46 are secured to thimble 44 by means of bolts 49 and 50, bolt 49 being connected to sleeve 32 by means of strip 51, while bolt 50 has connected thereto a wire 52 leading to the magneto ori nition system, wire 52 being covered by suita le insulation in order that it may not come in contact with the metallic parts of the control handle.

The operation of my improved control handle will be readily understood from the above description, but may be briefly described as follows:

The handle is assembled on the bracket or any suitable part axed to the outboard motor by means of the clamp parts 17 and 18, and may be adjusted to any particular desirable vertical position by means of bolt 25, which is ad`ustably supported in arm 21. The speed o the motor may be readily controlled as the boat is guided, by simply r0- tating the handle grip on the control handle, it being unnecessary for the operator to use more than one hand in controlling the motor. When it is desired to stop the motor, it is simply necessary to throw switch 43 by means of the thumb of the hand grasping the control handle, the switch provided being such that the magneto remains short-circuited or the ignition system opened, as the case may be, when the switch is released.

Thus it will be readily understood that I have provided a controlling handle which may be adjusted to any convenient position to suit the needs of the operator, while the controls forming apart of the handle enable the operator to completely control the operation of the motor, as well as to steer the boat.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. i

What I claim 1s:

1. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising a hollow arm, means at one end of said arm for attaching the arm to a motor, a grip rotatably mounted on the other end of said arm, a tube connected to said grip and extending through the hollow arm and adapted to control the operation of a part of said motor, and a switch on the outer end of said grip, said switch being connectible to the ignition system of the motor through said tube and adapted to interrupt the operation of the latter.

2. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising a hollow tubular arm, means at one end of said arm for mounting the arm on a motor, a grip rotatably mounted on the other end of and having an elongated bearing on said arm, a. tube connected to said grip and extending through the hollow arm, means on the opposite end of said tube from said grip adapted to be connected to a part of said motor to control the operation of the same, a switch in the outer end of said grip, and a connection leading from the switch and extending through the hollow tube adapted to be connected to the ignition system of the motor.

3. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising an arm, and means for attaching one end of the arm to a motor for vertical pivotal movement, said means including means for adjustably limiting downward movement of the outer end of the handle.

4. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising an arm, and means for attaching one end of the arm to a motor for vertical pivotal movement thereon, said means including clamping means adapted to embrace a part of the motor, and an adjustable abutment engaging a part of the motor to limit downward movement oftheouter end of the handle.

5. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising an arm and means for attaching one end of the arm to a motor, said means comprising a two part clamp adapted to receive and embrace a part of the motor, and means on one of said clamping parts engaging a part of said motor to adjustably position the outer end of the handle in a vertical direction, said means for adjustably positioning the handle comprising a bolt having one end in engagement with the part of the motor and the other end received in the part of the clamp.

6. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising a hollow tube, clamping means on one end of said tube adapted to embrace a part of a motor, a sleeve on the opposite end from said tube from the clamping means, a collar mounted in said sleeve beyond the end of said tube, and a second tube mounted in said collar'and extending through the rst named tube and clamping means, a grip on said sleeve and a crank on the end of said second named tube.

7. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising a hollow tube, clamping means on one end of said tube adapted to embrace a part of a motor, a sleeve on the opposite end from said tube from the clamping means, a collar mountedin said sleeve beyond the end of said tube, and a second tube mounted in said collar and extending through the first named tube and clamping means, a grip on said sleeve and a crank on the end of said second named tube, a switch in the outer end of said grip, and a connection to said switch extending through the second named hollow tube, and outwardly from. the clamping means.

8. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising an arm, and means for attaching one end of the arm to a motor, said means including clamping means adapted to embrace a part of the motor, and an arm on said clamping means adjustably engaging a part of the motor to position the outer end of the handle in a vertical direction.

9. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising an arm and means for attaching one end of the arm to the motor, said means including a clamping means adapted to embrace a part of the motor, an arm 'on said clamping means, and an adjustble element mounted on the arm and engaging a part of the motor to position the outer end of the handle in a vertical direction. y

10. A control handle for an outboard motor comprising a clamping element adapted to embrace a part of the motor, a pair of tubes mounted one within the other, one of said tubes being rigidly mounted in the clamping element and the other tube being rotatably mounted in the clamping element, a grip rotatably mounted on the end of therigid tube and having a rigid connection with the rotatable tube, a switch in the end of said grip, and a connection to said switch extending through the rotatable tube and clamping arm.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of October, 1928.

WOODRUFF R. SMITH. 

